Browns: Brandon Weeden wants Josh Gordon to clean up routes

Brandon Weeden says he has complete trust in Josh Gordon, even after a repeat of a mistake Gordon made last week resulted in another near-interception Thursday.

Gordon was supposed to run a comeback route on a play that started on the Browns' 47 with 4:14 left in the first half. He did not cut back as early as he should have. Packers cornerback Casey Hayward jumped in front of Gordon as Weeden threw. The ball bounced off Hayward's hands incomplete.

Gordon made the same error in the preseason opener. Lions defensive back Dwight Bentley dropped what should have been an easy interception.

"I talked to him before the game, during the game and after the game about certain things I see I think he can do," Weeden said after practice Friday. "I'm not a receivers coach, so I don't know how to tell him to run a route, but (I told him) what I'm thinking as far as when I'm going to pull the trigger. I think that's the main thing -- the timing of that route.

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"The DB made a great play on it, but (Gordon) was a yard or two long. If he runs it at the right depth, maybe it's a completion vs. almost a pick six. It's getting on the same page. This game is so tough. A yard here or there can determine a lot of the outcome."

Soon there will be times when games count that Weeden will have to make that split-second decision -- throw the comeback to Gordon or throw to another receiver. Weeden says he will look to Gordon first if that's the way the play is designed.

"You have to (have trust)," Weeden said. "That was my first read, and it was there. He had cushion and it was perfect -- the exact look we wanted. I'm not going to change my reads and how I feel.

"I trust Josh and I'm not going to work the other side of the field just because it's him and the same thing happened the week before. I can't do that. To sum it all up, we have to be on the same page. We can't continue to do it, but he's a rookie, he's learning just like I am. He's trying to play fast."

Gordon would be further ahead if he had an offseason with the Browns, but he didn't because he was taken in the supplemental draft July 12 with a 2013 second-round pick. The Browns are counting on him heavily and would like him to pay dividends this year.

Last week, Coach Pat Shurmur pulled Gordon from practice for running a route lackadaisically. Gordon was better after that. The Browns are amping up his preparation because they believe he has potential. By contrast Carlton Mitchell has hardly practiced this summer, and no one seems to care.

"They're throwing him in the fire," Weeden said. "He's going to be out there. He's got way too many tools, and he's way too good of a player to not be on the field.

"You've got to kind of tailor stuff to fit what he does well. There are certain things he does extremely well. We're not going to do stuff to make him feel uncomfortable where he feels out of his element. It's still a learning process. That's why we're in training camp; we're still in that mode of doing the fundamental things. He's going to be in there. He's too good of a player to sit on the sideline."

Gordon was targeted five times in Green Bay and caught two passes. He was targeted three times in Detroit and did not catch a pass.

Three other players were added to the injury list -- offensive tackle O'Niel Cousins, wide receiver Rod Windsor and linebacker Emmanuel Acho. All Shurmur would say is the three are "sore" after the game in Green Bay.

Players off

There is no practice Saturday. The next practice open to the public is 2 p.m. Sunday.